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One Big Family: IT Companies Connect With Families
Posted by Pradeep Sadanapalli | July 13, 2008 | 501 views
(1 votes, average: 3 out of 5)
Loading ...justify”>Last week, 4,000 people—employees and families of ValueLabs, an offshore software development company— met at Sampradaya Vedika in Shilparamam for six hours of fun ‘n’ frolic ‘n’ food. The company also holds a summer camp every year for its employees’ kids on its campus. And it’s not too uncommon to see spouses and children of employees hanging about at its campus, while their parent/spouse is at work.
“We think it’s important to be a hightouch organisation and engage with the employees’ families at every opportunity. As work invariably spills over to homes in the IT industry, it is only right if home also enters the workplace and the contribution of the family is acknowledged,” explains Arjun Rao, chief executive officer of ValueLabs.
Initiatives like these have helped the company maintain its attrition levels at a low seven per cent and below for the past five years, he adds.
Whether its mid-sized companies like ValueLabs and KPIT Cummins or MNCs like Microsoft or big daddies of the Indian IT industry like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Wipro Technologies, everybody is increasingly trying to find ways to connect with the families of their employees and get them to experience the workplace.
Satyam Computer Services has a ‘Fun@Work’ programme, which involves families of its associates in social and recreational activities like Satyam Super Kid, a talent hunt for children of its employees and Satyam Run for AIDS awareness.
Satyam’s Satyamotsav and Infotech Enterprises’ Infotsav, are family days where employees’ families are entertained with cultural shows, games and contests, followed by a speech by the head of the company on its performance and of course, dinner. Wipro has a three-day family event called ‘Jagruthi’, organised across its locations, while Zensar has events for over six months for employees’ families, which culminate in Vividha, its family day.
“The family day gives employees a sense of belonging with the organisation and their families get a feel of the place their members are working in,” says B Ashok Reddy, president, Global-HR of Infotech Enterprises.
Members and families of Foresight group, the extended management team of Satyam BPO, meet at regular intervals for informal discussions on issues unrelated to work, be it personal or family issues.
Companies like TCS, and Genpact also have events like ‘bring your family to work’ for employees to bond over. While companies like Wipro and KPIT Cummins Infosystems organise ‘Kids@work’ with a host of games and events for employees’ children. “The bond we create through various family outreach programmes with employees’ families is a key to our retention strategy,” said Ajoyendra Mukherjee, head, GLobal HR at TCS.
But at Microsoft it is also about enthusing GenNext about innovation and technology and showcasing its products. On the company’s ‘Bring your child to work (BYCTW)’ day, older kids got to play games and see demos of Microsoft products and technologies like Visual Studio, RoundTable and IPTV, while the younger lot got to play with Microsoft power toys and solve Microsoft logos’ jigsaw puzzles. Catching them young? Perhaps.
For Intelenet Global Services, a BPO, family day is an opportunity to show that the BPO industry is an exciting, secure and challenging profession, providing a long-term growth perspective, according to Manuel D’Souza, the company’s HR head.
On the other hand, for kids even being allowed to use the facilities at their parents’ workplace can make a big difference. “I really like my father’s office. It has table tennis and basketball courts, where you can play as much as you want,” said 11-year old Nitya Mahensaria, whose father works at Microsoft. That is way of creating extended families.
Author: Padmaja Sastri
SOURCES:
Times Of India
Topics: What's UP, Information Technology |
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